Turtle Back Zoo announces death of African lion who had kidney disease
Sukari celebrated her 20th birthday this past summer. An African lion typically lives less than 17 years, according to the zoo.
Share:
More Stories
Officials with the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange say that the zoo’s elderly African lion, Sukari, has died.
“Sukari was humanely euthanized due to the progression of irreversible kidney disease,” officials wrote in a social media post.
Sukari celebrated her 20th birthday this past summer.
An African lion typically lives less than 17 years, according to the zoo.
“Sukari was one of the founding lions of our Lion & Hyena Habitat. She will be remembered by her keepers as a smart, fierce, and fearless cat with an infrequent but very endearing playful side,” the zoo wrote.
Sukari was born at the Denver Zoo in 2004. She came to the Turtle Back Zoo from the Bronx Zoo in 2017.
Turtle Back officials say a male lion named Demarcus remains at the habitat.
